What If Holding the Option Key Doesn't Work on Your Mac

The Option key, a modifier key present on Apple keyboards, is involved in multiple keyboard shortcuts to cut, copy, paste files, sleep, log out of the Mac, delete or move text while editing documents, etc. What's more, it is used to access the Startup Manager to change the startup disk on Intel Macs while booting. 

Unexpectedly, the Mac Option key not working issue occurs to some users:

The option key on my MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid-2015; MacOS 10.12.6) just stopped working. In the first half of typing a sentence, it worked (on shift-option-hyphen). In the second half of the same sentence, it stopped working. Since then, it has not worked. Any combination of the option key and another key produces nothing. This is true in Word, Notes, TextEdit, Safari, and any application I try.

I'm trying to do a clean install upgrade to Sierra on my 2010 MacPro. I've downloaded the installer to USB drive, and just trying to access Startup Manager via an Option key startup to start up in the installer. Each attempt only delivers a blank screen, no startup manager. The fact that it is not starting up correctly means it's recognising the key press, but it's just not going to startup manager. Normal startup resumes if I press no key.

As you can see, there are mainly two scenarios:

How to fix the Mac Option key not working issue

No matter whether the Mac Option key not working error happens while you boot up the Mac to change the startup disk or use it combined with other keys to operate actions, it is terrible. Therefore, you can try the following fixes in this part to make the Option key work again on Mac.

Restart your Mac

It's a simple but worthwhile approach. When you encounter some minor errors on your Mac, you can give it a fresh start by restarting it. After booting, the Option key not working issue may be solved and you can use it normally.

Check the modifier key setting

You should know whether the action you selected for the Option key is Option. If not, all the Option key-related shortcuts can not work normally given that although you press the Option key, it performs another action instead of Option. Here's how:

Check the keyboard connection

When you using an external keyboard on a Mac, when you find the Mac keyboard not working, you should first check whether the keyboard is correctly connected to your Mac. When there is a connection issue with the Bluetooth or wired keyboard used for Mac, not only the Option key, but the whole keyboard won't respond while pressing.

Access the Startup Manager in the right way

Apple enables you to boot from a secondary volume or an external hard drive so that you can dual-boot macOS Sonoma and macOS Ventura and switch to Windows on Mac. On Intel-based Macs, you can make it by pressing the power button to start up the Mac while simultaneously holding down the Option key. However, it differs on Apple Silicon Macs. You just need to press and hold the power button until the"Loading startup options" screen appears.

Therefore, you should identify your Mac model and use the right way to access the Startup Manager on Mac. If you can't select to boot the Mac from an external disk, you need to make sure you have set to allow booting from removable or external media in Startup Security Utility, and that the USB bootable installer for macOS is compatible with your Mac.

Change the default startup disk

Unluckily, the Option key is still not working, and you need to boot up the Mac from the Windows partition, the different macOS volume, or an external disk, you can still change the default startup disk in System Settings. Here's how:

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